Town Budget and Town Meeting

Excess Levy Capacity

The Town of Andover has a $1.5M excess levy capacity. This means they can increase the school budget without an "override."

This is highly regulated by the state and you can find more information here.

Free Cash

The Commonwealth’s Division of Local Services recommends that municipalities keep 3-5% available in free cash. Andover has $5-9M more than that recommendation sitting in free cash reserves.

Andover has $15M in free cash.

Tax Surplus

Every year, the Town of Andover collects millions more dollars than it budgets. These revenues are eventually put into free cash.

State Aid

The Commonwealth through "Chapter 70" has increased resources that have come to Andover.

In fiscal year 2024, Andover received $1.8M more.

Articles and Other Resources

School Spending Raises Property Values

Billerica School Committee approves budget with likely staffing cutsThe Billerica School Committee voted 3-2 in a special meeting Saturday at Town Hall to move forward with a proposed $82.8 million Fiscal Year 2025 budget that will result in cuts to certain positio…

Schools & the Homebuying DecisionOf all the local neighborhood amenities that can influence a buyer's decision to purchase a home, proximity to good quality schools is one of the most influential.

More state money headed for Andover schoolsAndover Schools is projected to receive about $13,950,800 in state aid in the coming fiscal year — a 15% increase over last year.

Can Moving Teachers Between Grade Levels Actually Hurt Student Learning?A great deal of attention has been given to the learning loss that can take place under brand new teachers, but there is a growing body of research that shows moving teacher between grade levels, or "grade switching," can actually be harmful to student achievement too.

Live Updates 2024 Town Meeting - Hingham AnchorWednesday April 24, 2024 (updates provided by Hilary Jenison) As 7:03 PM Hingham’s 2024 Town Meeting was officially called to begin. The warrant articles will be covered live by the Hingham Anchor throughout the meeting with live updates as votes are cast. ARTICLE 1 HANNAH LINCOLN WHITING FUND Passed (unanimous vote) ARTICLE 2 ASSUME LIABILITY ... Read more

Opinion: Support Better Education At Town Meeting | Andover News“Over the past 10 years at Andover Public Schools (APS), enrollment, test scores and rankings have all declined (Source: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education). This …